Keeping Mum (2005)

*updated*

Some family secrets are best kept...buried.
alt: They took her in. Now she's taking them out.

Directed by: Niall Johnson
Written by: Richard Russo and Niall Johnson
Starring: Rowan Atkinson as Reverend Walter Goodfellow, Kristin Scott Thomas as Gloria Goodfellow, Maggie Smith as Rosie/Grace Hawkins, Patrick Swayze as Lance, and Tamsin Egerton as Holly Goodfellow
Music by: Dickon Hinchliffe

Rogue...

We decided to list this movie on our classics site mainly because it's a wonderful Brit film which was a smash over the pond but hasn't seen much publicity here in the States. This dark comedy focuses on the Goodfellow family - a rector, his wife, and their two children - and how their lives are altered when the new housekeeper shows up and turns out to be a serial killer. Maggie Smith does an absolutely stellar job as Grace Hawkins - who kills anyone who gets in her way. It's a role you don't expect to see her pull off - yet she does it with such humor and natural expression, you wonder why you haven't seen her in a role like this before.

The other characters are also superbly developed. The rector is oblivious to everything going on in his family - his daughter's promiscuous lifestyle, his son's problem with bullies, and his wife's impending affair with her golf instructor, Lance. Rowan Atkinson is funny in a way completely opposite his usual style with Mr. Bean. He manages to mock the clergy without insulting them, and even my husband (who is a pastor's son) could relate to some of the issues Rev. Goodfellow had to deal with. Gloria was sufficiently neurotic and Holly was the perfect rebellious daughter. I have a question though - when did Patrick Swayze start fitting the typecast for the pervy older man?

Another aspect of this movie I absolutely must praise is the soundtrack. It's quirky and heartfelt all in the same notes, and brings every scene in the movie together flawlessly. I'm tempted to buy it - but I am pretty sure I'd have to import it. I also want to congratulate the directors of this movie for keeping every death scene off screen. We are there at the moment of death, but we never have to see someone's head getting bashed in or a body dismembered.

However, that being said, there are some fairly graphic scenes in this movie. It is rated R. The daughter goes topless several times throughout the film, and there is a large amount of swearing. Plus, you have to see Patrick Swayze in a thong - which just about scarred me for life. The Brits are a little more lax with nudity and language than we are here in America. Just as we are a bit more lenient when it comes to violence than they are (which, I suspect, is why the death scenes are off camera).

Hopefully, my husband will be posting his thoughts later, so you may want to check back. But as for me, I give this movie a five corpses out of a possible five (5/5).

thatoneguy...

Rogue covered most of the info you need in order to make a viewing decision, here - "Keeping Mum" is a charming, darkly funny family tale that's filled with some really fun performances. There's depth here, too, even if it does seem a little heavy handed on the surface. A family falling apart, until "Grace" comes into their lives and changes them all for the better. In most cases, this would be horrifically cheesy. However, when the "Grace" in question is a charming old lady (played to perfection by Maggie Smith) who has absolutely no qualms about killing people who are inconvenient? Well, that helps make things a little less saccharine. In fact, it's the performances that sell this movie. (Rowan Atkinson, in particular, turns in a performance that shows that he has a range far greater than any of his Mr Bean roles.) True, Patrick Swayze goes way over the top, but the rest of the performances provide a surprising and welcome amount of levity and depth to this quaint, dark comedy.

As Rogue said, there's no violence here - everything happens off camera. The language and the nudity may be a dealbreaker for most, but rest assured - this isn't a Tarentino film. It's also not the sort of "cool language" that you find in most American films - I can personally vouch that this is exactly the way people in Britain talk. (I'll never forget the time I heard a Pastor's wife drop the f-bomb during a casual lunch-and-tea meal. Funny, funny stuff.)

"Keeping Mum" isn't a film that will change your life, and it's not a film that will leave you speechless. However. You will laugh, and smile, and when the film finishes you'll most likely feel happier than you did when you started it. No "guilty pleasure" here - this is a wonderfully solid film. Highly recommended - a 4 shovel-wielding-Maggie Smiths out of 5. (4/5)

The Lavender Hill Mob (1951)

He stole $3,000,000 in gold and that's a lot of BULLion!
alt: The men who BROKE the bank - and LOST the cargo.

Directed by: Charles Crichton
Written by: T.E.B. Clarke
Starring: Alec Guinness as Henry "Dutch" Holland, Stanley Holloway as Alfred Pendlebury, Sid James as Lackery, and Alfie Bass as Shortie Fisher
Music by: Georges Auric

This is just another example of the comedic largesse of Alec Guinness. He plays Henry Holland, a mild and meek bank clerk who supervises the transportation of gold buillion and dreams of stealing it and running off to live the life of adventure. His only problem is how to get it out of the country - easily solved when Holland meets the owner of a foundry, Alfred Pendlebury. They whip up a plan in less than a week when Holland finds out he is about to be transferred. Together, they con two seasoned crooks into helping them steal the contents of the truck - although immediately things begin to go wrong. And things go even more haywire when some of the gold (now in the shape of Eiffel Tower paperweights) is lost and falls into the hands of the British police.

There were several points in this film where I thought, "this is absolutely ridiculous!" The men find themselves in and out of trouble so many times it's amazing they got as far as they did. And all of their capers are not through any mistake of theirs! Holloway plays the perfect foil to Guinness - one being meek and exacting, the other bumbling and loudmouthed but well-meaning. It was very reminiscent of a Laurel and Hardy comedy (but with a more developed plotline). And Audrey Hepburn makes an appearance early in the film as Chiquita - this was her first film to be distributed in the US. She was one of Guinness's favorite actresses.

Overall, I would highly recommend this comedy, as it highlights the wonderful talents of both Holland and Guinness in the roles of well-meaning thieves. And watch for my favorite scene - with the bobby officer singing "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" at the top of his lungs (complete with animal sounds!) I give this one four golden eiffel tower paperweights out of a possible five. (4/5)

Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)

A hilarious study in the gentle art of murder.


Directed by: Robert Hamer
Written by: Roy Horniman (novel), John Dighton, Robert Hamer
Starring: Dennis Price as Louis Mazzini, Valerie Hobson as Edith D'Ascoyne, Joan Greenwood as Sibella, and Alec Guinness as The Duke, The Banker, The Parson, The General, The Admiral, young Ascoyne D'Ascoyne, young Henry D'Ascoyne, Lady Agatha D'Ascoyne
Music by: a variety of Classical composers

If you've never seen Alec Guinness as anything but Obi Wan Kenobi, I strongly suggest you start looking at his earlier works. Nowadays, it seems a shame that most know him as the enigmatic proverb-spewing, force wielding Jedi knight, when in actuality, he's a former king of comedy. While he doesn't play the main character in this film, he might as well - considering he plays eight other characters all belonging to the same family and all killed by the main character in hilarious ways.

The premise of this film is very gruesome - a young man with a far reaching claim to a dukedom feels spurned by the noble family he descends from, especially after his mother dies and is refused internment in the family vault. He decides to get revenge and claim the title of the Duke of Chalfont. Eight of his relatives stand in his way, as well as the problem of juggling relationships with two women who want to marry him.

His attitude towards the deaths of his family members is detached and non-chalant - the perfect portrait of a serial killer psychopath. And Price plays Louis perfectly, casually discussing the particulars of poisoning, drowning, shooting, and otherwise knocking off the people in his way. He also manages to fit every role he attempts - whether it's a clergyman or a clerk. And as much as you're disgusted by Louis, you're rooting for him by the end. He's taken advantage of just as much as he takes advantage of others.

The comedy in this movie is undeniable. Louis's attitude provides plenty of humor, as does Sibella's sickeningly sweet antics towards him. And needless to say, Guinness is incredible in his eight different roles, ranging from snobs to rectors to suffragette women. There always seems to be an aura of overdramatic acting pervading the script - but never irritatingly so. The sheer number of one-liners is impressive, and every few minutes Jason and I found ourselves laughing at the antics of either Guinness or Price or Greenwood.

This movie is a selection on both the Time Magazine and the BFI's Top 100 British Films. It has also been ranked as the 25th Greatest Comedy of All Time and the 7th Greatest British Film of all time by the readers of "Total Film" magazine. I highly recommend this early Guinness film and award it four dead relatives out of a possible five (4/5).

Kinky Boots (2005)

How Far Would You Go to Save the Family Business?

Directed by: Julian Jarrold
Written by: Geoff Deane and Tim Firth
Starring: Joel Edgerton as Charlie Price, Chiwetal Ejiofor as Lola, Sarah Jane Potts as Lauren, and Jemima Rooper as Nicola
Music by: Mainly consists of songs from the film sung by Ejiofor, but also includes music from David Bowie, Nina Simone, James Brown, The Dub Pistols, Jemima Rooper, Lyn Collins, Louis Jarrold, The Visitors, Diefenbach, and Kirsty MacColl

First of all, this movie shines because it's based on a true story. There really is a shoe factory in a small town in England which changed its line from men's shoes to men's shoes for transvestites. And granted this subject alone may be enough to keep the squeamish from watching this film. The movie makes a point of not condemning this lifestyle but prods you to accept people for who they really are - using both Lola and Charlie as examples, along with several smaller characters along the way. For the majority of the film, Ejiofor appears in drag, and if not in full drag, at least some makeup. And there is a large focus on sex appeal through the shoes.

Yet, for all the content issues some people may have with this film, it is amazingly clean. There are absolutely no sex scenes - not even implied. Charlie and his fiancee do not even live together. There is little swearing and practically no violence either. Simply men dancing in suggestive female costumes (which doesn't bother me because they're men). The storyline isn't typical and the end - while being slightly predictable - doesn't fall back on the usual excuses for it's predictability. The plot itself is tightly woven and very strong, and the characters are very well expressed.

My absolute favorite part of this movie is Chiwetal Ejiofor. His role in "Kinky Boots" has solidly placed him in my list of favorite actors. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for this part (and lost to Sasha Baren Cohen, which...don't even get me started on how stupid that is). He plays the part of Lola perfectly - as a man who isn't gay but loves dressing up in women's clothing, and a man who likes to challenge common social norms and doesn't enjoy doing what people expect. He sings all his own songs, which in itself could have gotten my respect, but he actually pulls off wearing women's outfits just fine. In fact, the first time you see him out of drag, you almost don't recognize him; which forces you to recognize just how much of him is wrapped up in his identity as Lola.

If you are very uncomfortable with the idea of cross dressing, you probably won't enjoy this movie. However, I do recommend it as a clean film with a good general moral lesson to teach in a fun and entertaining way with superb acting. I'd give this film five pairs of kinky boots out of a possible five (5/5).

With Six You Get Eggroll (1968)

"Keeping this family together isn't child's play!"

Directed by: Howard Morris
Written by: R.S. Allen, Gwen Bagni, Harvey Bullock, and Paul Dubov
Starring: Doris Day as Abby McClure, Brian Keith as Jake Iverson, Pat Carroll as Maxine Scott, Barbara Hershey as Stacy Iverson, Alice Ghostley as Molly the Maid, and George Carlin as Herbie Fleck.
Music by: Robert Mersey

At first glance, this might seem like a less comedic version of "Yours, Mine, and Ours" or even "The Brady Bunch." Each of the adults has less than four kids and so much of the hilarity gained with gobs of children isn't present.

Granted, the two romantic leads find plenty of humorous situations to get themselves into without their offspring's help. Their bending over backwards to try to keep their children happy forces them into compromising positions where their own needs come last. This doesn't seem funny after the third time they sneak off to the drive through for coffee and give each other a knowing look. And the story does seem to drag a little without small persons spiking drinks or getting hit in the face with a football, therefore damaging their social lives. The two youngest McClure kids provide most of the child comedy, but only in a rather loudmouth annoying way - *gasp* a realistic way.

And that's where this movie picks up where the aforementioned films leave off. While the movies this is often compared to focus on the comedic aspect of adjusting to the merging of families, their humor could just as easily happen within a family that isn't blended - such as with "Cheaper by the Dozen." With Eggroll, we focus more on the awkwardness of dating again when you've already got a family, the pressure when a new spouse enters the scene, and the rough waters you have to navigate when it comes to your children adjusting. Day and Keith are just realistic enough to make this movie shine, but not realistic enough to be shocking to viewers in the late 60's.

Once again, the ending of this film is a little of a let down. It felt as if the movie makers saw their movie wasn't hitting enough funny bones and took a mixed up situation and blew it up into something ridiculous. Thus the entrance of the chicken truck, the hippies, and the too small Good Humor Costume.

This movie gets a three eggrolls out of a possible five eggrolls (3/5).